Drake, Duke of Manchester is searching the Marriage Mart for a perfect bride. He wants a woman who is poised, sophisticated, and worthy of the title Duchess. But most of all, he wants a woman who does not want the useless emotion of love.

Socially awkward Miss Penelope Clayton isn't meant for marriage. A serious botanist, she has no desire to wed, so being forced by her guardian to participate in the Season to find a husband is torture. She'll never fit in with the ton, especially if they discover she's been pretending to be a man within the scientific community.

As Drake's family makes over Penelope, turning her from naive bluestocking to enchanting debutante, he is put upon to introduce her to society and eligible bachelors. Despite dance lessons and new gowns, Penelope is the opposite of poised and sophisticated as she stumbles from one mishap to the next. Why then, does he find it so hard to resist her?

My thoughts:

The Duke's Quandary is a charming story about a socially awkward girl and a man looking for the perfect girl. Drake is the Duke of Manchester. Even though his parents married for love and his sisters are looking to marry for love, he decides he has no room in his life for love. He is in search of the perfect duchess. Penelope doesn't wish for a Season. She'd rather stay in the country to study plants, but her aunt has other ideas. Her aunt sends her to town to endure a Season with the help of a family friend. Penelope reluctantly goes, however, she does not intend to marry. Drake and Penelope have an easy friendship and are extremely attracted to one another. Because they want different things, there lies the quandary.I really enjoyed reading this book, but at times I found myself frustrated by it. The writing was good, the story line was good, the romance was good. So what was my problem. My feminist side was kicked into high gear with how dismissive the males were to Penelope's interest and career in Botany. The author was true to the times and portrayed how hard it was for women who wanted something more than to be a wife and mother. I really enjoyed this book and I hope the author continues writing historical romance. Perhaps she could continue with the Duke's sisters. He had so many. It would be great to see them get their happy endings, too!